Concert

Beethoven Symphony No. 4

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2018 Europakonzert: Program includes:

  • Beethoven Leonore Overture, No. 3 in C major, Op. 72

  • Beethoven Symphony No. 4

  • Beethoven Overture to The Creatures of Prometheus, Op. 43

  • Wagner Wesendonck-Lieder (Westbroek)

Played and recorded at the the Markgräfliches Opernhaus in Bayreuth, 2018. This was the traditional Europakonzert performed on May 1 each year by the Berliner Philharmoniker in a special venue, usually in a different European city. Paavo Järvi conducts; features soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek. Directed for TV by Henning Kasten. Released in 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2 & Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1

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💓 On July 4 and 6, 2015, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra performed two concerts with Zubin Mehta conducting at the Charles Bronfman auditorium in Tel Aviv. On one night Khatia Buniatishvili performed the Liszt Piano Concerto No. 2. On the next night she played the Beethoven Piano Concerto No. 1. Videographer Christophe Boula was there to film Khatia's performances for Panamax. He must have been frustrated as he was unable to set up cameras at the back of the hall to shoot the orchestra and Khatia from normal angles of 4:00 to 8:00 o'clock. Most of his cameras were consigned to the sides and back of the stage (he did have one camera, probably hanging from a boom, that could shoot Khatia at the keyboard from about 7:00.)

Boula was told to make a DVD-style recording. But he had the capability of shooting something far better. I wonder if Boula knew at the time that his work would eventually result in the first fine-art recording ever to be published in 4K with High Dynamic Range? And did Boula guess that this project would arguably turn into, from the viewpoint of PQ and SQ anyway, the best recording ever to be made a fine-art performance? And did he foresee that the wonderful images he would record would nevertheless be crippled by weak video content? Well, it's not likely that we well hear anything from Boula about all this, so we will have to try to explain it for you.


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The Mumbai Concerts

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The Mumbai Concerts. In 2018 Zubin Mehta conducts the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra at the National Center for Performing Arts in Mumbai, India. Features violinist Pinchas Zukerman, cellist Amanda Forsyth, and pianist Denis Matsuev. This disc presents two concerts that were performed on back-to-back nights.

The first night's program:

  1. Antonín Dvořák Carnival Overture

  2. Ludwig van Beethoven Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

  3. Maurice Ravel La Valse & Daphnis et Chloé, Suite No. 2

The second night's program:

  1. Johann Strauss Overture from Die Fledermaus

  2. Johannes Brahms Double Concerto in A minor, Op. 102

  3. Peter Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No. 1

Directed by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA


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Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 and Berg Concerto for Violin and Orchestra

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Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 ("Scottish") and Berg Concerto for Violin and Orchestra ("To the Memory of an Angel"). Andris Nelsons in 2018 conducts the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig . Features violinist Baiba Skride. Here is the full program:

  1. Steffen Schleiermacher Relief for Orchestra (This is a world premiere performance of a piece commissioned for this concert.)

  2. Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 in A minor, op. 56

  3. Alban Berg Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (Baiba Skride on violin)

Directed for TV by Ute Feudel. Produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Sideshow

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Steven Kazuo Takasugi Sideshow concert. Directed 2018 by Steven Kazuo Takasugi and performed by the Talea Ensemble in New York. The Talea Ensemble features Barry J. Crawford (flute/piccolo), Rane Moore (clarinet), Ryan Muncy (alto saxophone), Alex Lipowski (percussion/vocals), Stephen Gosling (piano), Yuki Numata Resnick (violin), Elizabeth Helgeson (viola), Chris Gross (cello), and David Adamcyk (electronics). Production supervisor was Brent Ness; audio production assistant was Sam Torres; audio production by David Adamcyk; video production by Four/Ten Media; cinematography by Evan Chapman and Kevin Eikenberg. Also features 46 minutes of interviews with the composer and the players. Released 2018, disc has stereo sound only. Grade: NA

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Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 and Stravinksy Le Sacre du Printemps

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Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 and Stravinsky Le Sacre du Printemps concert. Performed 2009 at the Waldbuhne, Berlin. Sir Simon Rattle conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker. Features soloist Yefim Bronfman (piano). Here’s the program:

  • Tchaikovsky “Overture,” “The Christmas Tree,” March,” and “Pas de deux” from The Nutcracker

  • Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3

  • Stravinsky Le Sacre du Printemps

Released 2009, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Respighi Fountains of Rome/Pines of Rome and Shostakovich Suite No. 2 for Jazz Orchestra

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Respighi Piano Fountains of Rome/Pines of Rome and Shostakovich Suite No. 2 for Jazz Orchestra concert, a/k/a Fellini, Jazz & Co. concert. Performed 2011 at the Waldbuhne, Berlin. Ricardo Chailly conducts the Berliner Philharmoniker. Here’s the program:

  • Shostakovich Suite No. 2 for Jazz Orchestra (Suite for Variety Orchestra) and “Allegretto” from Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk

  • Rota "La Strada” Ballet Suite

  • Respighi Fountains of Rome, Pines of Rome, and Danza gueresca “Belkis”

  • Lincke Berliner Luft

Released 2012, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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From the New World

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Dvořák From the New World symphony concert. Andris Nelsons conducts the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig at the Gewandhaus zu Leipzig in 2017. Features soprano Kristine Opolais. Here's the program :

  • Dvořák Othello Overture

  • Dvořák "Mesícku na nebi hlubokém" ("Song to the Moon") from Rusalka (Opolais)

  • Dvořák Songs My Mother Taught Me, Op. 55 No. 4 from Gypsy Songs (Opolais)

  • Dvořák "Polonaise" from Rusalka

  • Bedřich Smetana How confused I feel? from Dalibor (Opolais)

  • Oh! it's useless from Rusalka (Opolais)

  • Dvořák Symphony No. 9 "From the New World"

Directed for TV by Michael Beyer; produced by Paul Smaczny. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA

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Brahms Cycle

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Brahms Cycle Box Set with most of Brahms' famous symphonic works performed in three recording venues. Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra. Yefim Bronfman plays the piano and Julia Fischer is the violin soloist. All the music was recorded in 2014 and 2015. There is a bonus with Franz Welser-Möst and Julia Fischer discussing the Violin Concerto.  Released 2015, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound.

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Brahms Violin Concerto

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Brahms Violin Concertoand Symphony No. 4 concert. Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra in 2014 at Severance Hall, Cleveland. The disc also includes Brahms Academic Festival Overture. Julia Fischer is the violin soloist. This disc also is available as part of a box set with Brahms' most famous symphonic works. Audio Producer Elaine Mortone; TV Director William Cosel; Producer Herbert G. Kloiber. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: For the Violin Concerto: A For Symphony No. 4: D-

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Brahms Symphonies 1-3

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Brahms Symphonies 1-3. In 2014, Franz Welser-Möst conducts the Cleveland Orchestra in Symphony No. 1 at the Royal Albert Hall, London and Symphonies 2 and 3 at the Musikverein Golden Hall, Vienna. This disc is also available as part of a box set with Brahms' most famous symphonic works. TV Director was Jonathan Haswell for Symphony 1 and Brian Large for Symphonies 2 and 3. Herbert G. Kloiber was Producer. Released 2018, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: For Symphony No. 1 B- For Symphonies 2 and 3: B

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